8/8/2019 Assignment 6 - Goals Paper

1/4

Brittany Gefroh

Goals Paper

Personal/Professional Goals:

I have decided that I am almost certainly switching to a major in Journalism,

Broadcasting and Mass Communication Technologies with a minor in English (Writing Studies

emphasis). These areas of study will help me with my goal of being a more effective

communicator. I pride myself on my writing ability, but I know that there is still much room for

improvement. Oral communication, on the other hand, is somewhat of a struggle for me. My

goal is not only to have sufficient oral communication skills butif possibleproficient oral

communication skills. My communication and English classes will enable me to grow in my

ability in both written and oral communication.

My professional goals at the moment are slightly unclear, but my newly chosen areas of

study mean that I will most likely be working in a field that deals with writing. The

requirements for my major and minor require several writing classes, which will serve as

excellent preparation for whatever I end up doing.

English Major Outcomes:

Though I most likely will not be an English major anymore, most of the outcomes for

English majors still relate to my personal and professional goals. Two of the seven outcomes

relate especially to me. The first is Outcome 1, which states, English majors will be able to

write and speak effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences in a variety of genres and

media. This outcome is essentially a restatement of the goals I mentioned above, so it is self-

explanatory how it is important to me. The other is Outcome 4, which states, English majors

8/8/2019 Assignment 6 - Goals Paper

2/4

will be able to manage sophisticated writing and research projects, planning, documenting,

completing, and assessing work on-time and within the constraints of the project. For the

duration of my time at NDSU, I will need to manage my time effectively so that I can finish my

assignments on time and to the best of my ability. This will be good preparation for my career as

well; if I become a journalist, meeting deadlines will be a normal aspect of my job.

Five-Year Plan:

I decided to read the chapter in Great Jobs for English Majors by Julie DeGalan and

Stephen Lambert entitled Path 1: Writing, Editing, and Publishing. This is the area of English

studies that interests me and that also corresponds to a Journalism, Broadcasting, and Mass

Communication Technologies major. I learned that the different employment opportunities in

this area are almost endless: "newspapers; general circulation magazines; trade, technical, and

professional publications; agricultural newspapers and magazines; targeted population

publications; college and university newspapers and magazines; radio stations; TV stations;

cable TV systems; book publishers; academic presses; and government" (91-92). This chapter

examines four possible career paths in this area of English studies: reporting, editing,

researching, and creative writing. These career paths each come with their own set of pressures.

Reporters, for example, deal with multiple assignments at once, and many creative writers have a

day job on the side because their writing does not earn them enough money. The career outlook

for reporters is not good, but the outlook for writers and editors is about average. Competition

will be stiff, but with the right skills, job seekers can stand out. In our modern technological

society, employers increasingly expect that "anyone working with English skills and written

communication be computer literate" (79).

8/8/2019 Assignment 6 - Goals Paper

3/4

The authors advise that English majors decide what interests [them] and focus on it

(90). I am still quite undecided on what I want to do after college, but this chapter opened my

eyes to possibilities that I did not know existed. I hope that my classes over my four years at

NDSU will help me decide what exactly my passion is.

Class Planning:

Five classes that can be used for a Journalism, Broadcasting and Mass Communication

Technologies major:

y COMM 111 (Honors Public Speaking)y COMM 200 (Introduction to Media Writing)y COMM 310 (Advanced Media Writing)y COMM 358 (Writing in the Humanities & Social Sciences)y COMM 425 (Specialty Writing Capstone)These classes will help me meet my personal and professional goals, as COMM 111 will

improve my public speaking skills while the rest will improve my writing skills and help me to

specialize in specific areas of writing that will be necessary for journalism.

Finances:

I am blessed to have enough scholarships so that I am actually getting paid to attend

NDSU. College is stressful enough, so it is a relief not having to worry about how I will pay for

it. It will be nice after graduation to have a head start on buying my first house and on putting

away money for retirement since I will not have loans to pay back. Having these scholarships

does come with one downside, however; I need to keep my GPA at a 3.5 or higher. That was

easily manageable in high school, but I am worried that it will be difficult in college. I am

8/8/2019 Assignment 6 - Goals Paper

4/4

confident, though, that the study and time management skills that helped me earn my

scholarships will help me keep my scholarships for the duration of my education at NDSU.